Torrecillas

Oilton is on State Highway 359 thirty-two miles east of Laredo in southeastern Webb County. It was called Torrecillas or "little towers," for two limestone rock formations nearby, when it became a station on the Texas-Mexican Railway. Rock shipped from the site was used in the construction of jetties in Corpus Christi Bay. In 1900 José M. García operated a commissary, the only business in the settlement. The population was forty in 1910. The discovery of oil in 1922 caused a growth in population, and the town's name was changed to Oilton. A post office opened the same year. In 1930 a school, five businesses, and a population of 150 were reported. The population remained steady during the 1950s and 1960s, but in later years the community experienced rapid growth, and in 1992 the reported population was 458. By 2000 the population had dropped to 310.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.